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NBC's Snyderman Highlights Importance Of Moderation

May 21, 2014

by Candy & Snack TODAY

Chicago — A line needs to be drawn separating things that are bad for you and those that are okay in moderation, explained NBC Chief Medical Editor Nancy Snyderman during this morning’s keynote session.

“If you try to deprive people of something, they’ll find a way to get it anyway and then gorge themselves on it. It’s rooted in our brains,” she said, adding: “I don’t trust purists, people who say ‘I never had a hamburger’ or ‘I never eat candy.’ People who never do anything are people I don’t want to know!”

While Snyderman acknowledged the rising global obesity problem, she explained the availability of confectionery and snack items aren’t the drivers of those problems, but rather societal changes.

“We’ve gutted physical education from our schools, we’ve built communities without sidewalks or places for kids to get out and be active,” she said.

Highlighting the timeless tradition of sweet treats, Snyderman pointed to ancient civilizations that indulged in honey-covered fruits and cocoa-based foods, noting anything with that kind of history is part of the human condition.

“No one ever said to the Aztecs, ‘Please take these apricots dipped in honey and make them the basis of your sustenance,’” she said. “The whole idea of living life to the moderate is something we need to wrap our arms around.”